How much would you pay for a Harvesters run?

[andypat]

Why is profit such a big deal? Admittedly, you don't want to make a loss, fair enough, but should the aim for organising what should be a flagship event really be to roll in the cash? -No.

Maybe thats the wrong way to put it. I think fear of a loss is more signficant for most clubs especially smaller ones. When you add up mapping costs, toilet facilities other expenses, a lot of small clubs would see even a couple of thousand outlay as a potential bankrupter if the event doesnt attract a decent entry, or worse is cancelled due to unforseen circumstances.

[Tatty]

For major events BOF sign you in to giving them a fairly big wack of the profits

[andypat]

As I understand it they dont take on any of the risk of a loss do they?

[Spookster]

For major events BOF sign you in to giving them a fairly big wack of the profits

There is often a misunderstanding of the way the Major Events Partnership Agreement works.

1. BOF takes 2/3 of the surplus, but also 2/3 of the loss should one occur.
2. BOF takes no levy on such events, so the profit share is instead of the levy.

and anyway,

3. The Harvester isn't a Major Event to which this Agreement applies.

At £10 per person entry (which is roughly what it was this year) the income is around £3500, and given that the event is not huge (about 350 people) many of the costs are not huge either. Of course there may be one-off costs like mapping and access that are independent of the event size, but those are known up front.

An additional protection against making a loss is to arrange associated events (like the Ultrapsrint and Urban race that ShUOC did this year). Surplus from those offsets loss from the main Harvester relay.

[Street]

On a serious note.

ShUOC did enjoy doing this event and the point was raised to turn the Harvester into "our" event.

However as we don't "own" any areas we would be relying considerably on other clubs for access.

I have a feeling there would have to be reasonably freedom for us to plan the kind of relay that we want to host.

Or maybe we will just organise our own awesome relay and call it something different.

[SeanC]

However as we don't "own" any areas we would be relying considerably on other clubs for access.

When you say "other clubs" do you mean those locally or further afield? Presumably it would be too hard to organise an event in a different region - but I would imagine that clubs would be very supportive, particularly if there was a plan to use any profits for student orienteering development.

It might not be ideal for those in the South East or Scotland but a "not the Harvesters" event rotating between a small number of areas in Yorkshireish could well be sustainable.

[Street]

Well SYO are very supportive when it comes to their areas but this was to become a more regular thing I can see us running out of suitable "non-garbage" (imo) areas very quickly.

Yes a "south yorkshire/manchester/north midlands" (anywhere near sheffield) relay, not quite as good a name as the Harvesters though.

I'm sure that NOPE will hear if we decide on a plan as the publicity machine rolls into action

[graeme]

I can see us running out of suitable "non-garbage" (imo) areas very quickly.

JOK don't own any areas, and 15 years on the Chasing Sprint is still going on non-garbage (imo) borrowed areas.
TNS/AROS don't own any areas either, and the Purple Thistle is still chugging along.
I'm sure SHUOC/SPOOK can join the big two in putting on ex-student-club events.
Come to think of it, I'm not sure that Combined Harvesters owned any areas either...

[Spookster]

I'm sure SHUOC/SPOOK can join the big two in putting on ex-student-club events.

Well, we've been running the 4- and 6-leg SPOOK relays annually for years. We just like to keep it to ourselves...